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Sucker Punch

I’m not sure what to tell you about this movie. On one hand, it’s very much a fanboy dream of hot chicks in short skirts with lots of videogame action and a rockin’ soundtrack. On the other hand, there’s something about female power involved here but I’m gonna go with the first thing and stick with that because truthfully…that’s all explanation this movie needs! I have to tell you, if there is one director with some crazy vision out there it’s Zack Snyder. The man directed the incredible remake of “Dawn Of The Dead, “300” & “Watchmen” and like those 3 awesome flicks, this movie is as visually stimulating as anything you’ll ever see on an IMAX screen. It’s a smorgasbord of action and music and…well…hot chicks and it is every bit as entertaining as I’d hoped it would be.

The storyline goes like this (and it IS a bit to follow): Baby Doll finds herself in an insane asylum (I won’t tell you why simply because I don’t want to give anything away). During her incarceration, she starts to envision herself as a part of a strip club that entertains high profile clients. She becomes friends with the other girls in the prison/nightclub and they make plans to escape before Baby Doll is given a lobotomy (yes…seriously). But in order to break out, they must find 5 key elements to help them escape. It’s in the moments that they get a chance to steal these key items that Baby Doll “dances” and it’s the dance sequences that become the action sequences. We (the audience) never get to see her dance because when she does, it turns into an action sequence of guns and swords and dragons and Nazi soldiers and biplanes and Orks and whatever else pops into Snyder and his animators’ minds. Seriously…I couldn’t make this up. But those guys did and it is awesome! Think “Scott Pilgrim vs The World” action sequences only with a lot more visual stimulation and you get the idea.

Snyder’s fast becoming one of my favorite directors and his ability to use greenscreen to get the actors involved with such energy when there’s nothing for them to work with is to be commended. The action is off the hook exciting and with the soundtrack amped up 100%, you can’t help be riveted to your seat! There’s a scene where the band of female fighters take on Nazi “zombies” where there are Zeppelin’s and bi-planes flying around that is just gorgeous to watch. I haven’t seen action like this since the ending of Peter Jackon’s “King Kong!” And the music is top notch with remixes of Queen, Bjork and Jefferson Airplane that play perfectly in the film. Sure…it’s loud! But it works perfectly for this movie!

As in his other greenscreen gem, “300,” this movie includes some outstanding performances, most of which will go unnoticed because of all the action. But seriously, all of the actresses in this movie are terrific. Emily Browning is Baby Doll. Considering I have never seen her other films, I didn’t know what her abilities were but she is perfect for this role. Jena Malone, Abbie Cornish, Jamie Chung and…”High School Musical” star (???) Vanessa Hudgens are the other inmates/dancers/warriors/soldiers trying to escape this nightmare. And the most pleasant surprise? Oscar Isaac as the evil prison ward/pimp, Blue Jones. He puts together a villainous character so slimy that you never quite know what he’ll do next. And that’s what the best villains do! Oh yeah…and Carla Gugino is also in this movie, which instantly moves it up to Grade A status anyways because she’s awesome in just about anything she’s in!

Needless to say, I was highly entertained by this film. I loved just about everything about it from the characters to the convoluted storyline to the soundtrack and especially the action sequences. It was 2 hours of non-stop visual overload and it was a great way to spend my afternoon. If I were to recommend anything, I would recommend seeing it on the largest screen possible. It’s totally worth the extra few bucks!!! What a great way to kick off the summer action season…even if it IS only 43 degrees outside…